Rashee Rice is once again at the center of a storm, and it remains to be seen whether the Chiefs can tolerate it or not. This time, he’s been involved in harrowing claims of domestic violence by his former girlfriend. For around a month, he’s been all over the headlines, yet the wide receiver hasn’t commented. TMZ Sports finally caught up with him. 

As the Chiefs’ WR was seen leaving LAX, a TMZ Sports reporter trailed him to know his side of the story. But Rice didn’t flinch. He simply walked toward his car as if the reporter didn’t exist. 

Even when the questions became more pointed: “Was there ever a hand put on anybody?” 

Rice remained muted, compelling the reporter to note his silent stance of “No comment.”

The controversy erupted with an Instagram post by Dacoda Nichole Jones, Rice’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two children. She shared a series of pictures showing bruises and wounds across her face and body. According to her, the abuse took place in Overland Park, Kansas, and Dallas. 

While she didn’t explicitly use Rice’s name in her post, she made the target clear by identifying the abuser as the father of her children. But she hasn’t yet taken the matter before a court. 

Interestingly, earlier this month, Jones’s Instagram post about the abuse allegations and photos had been deleted. Matt Derrick of Chiefsdigest.com reported on January 11 that no explanation or statement regarding the “removal of the post” has been issued. 

Rice and Jones were together for nearly eight years before their relationship ended two months ago. The couple shares two children, named Cassai and Cayden. In the caption of her now-deleted post, Jones expressed the toll the relationship had taken on her. 

“I’m so tired of keeping quiet. I’m so tired of protecting his image,” she wrote. “I’ve been through too much in a span of 8 years, and I’ve had ENOUGH! I’ve dealt with abuse for years, me and this man decided to break up a couple months ago, and since then, it’s been nothing but hell.”

As for the Chiefs, they issued a statement earlier this month to confirm that they are aware of the reports circulating online. Since no criminal charges or official complaints have been filed against Rice officially, the organization and the NFL are staying put. The Chiefs have avoided any mention of Rice by name in their statement. 

The league, too, was quick to initiate its own protocol regarding the matter. An NFL statement from January 8 confirmed that they are in contact with the Chiefs and will review the situation under the league’s personal conduct policy. As of now, they aren’t required to take any action. However, they can issue discipline based on their own findings. 

If that happens, it would be far from the first time Rice has faced disciplinary review. 

Could NFL sideline Rashee Rice for a full season?

The NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy is strict when it comes to domestic violence. For most players, a first-time offense of this nature results in a baseline suspension of six games without pay. However, the league has adjusted this penalty based on the severity of the evidence or “aggravating circumstances.”

Things get complicated for Rice because of his “repeat offender” status. If we go by the book, a second violation involving violent conduct can lead to permanent banishment from the NFL. Players do have rights to file a petition for their return after a year, but the process can be demanding. 

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The Chiefs have already dealt with this before. In 2019, they famously released Kareem Hunt after a video surfaced showing him in a physical altercation with a woman.

And Rice has already served one suspension under the personal conduct policy. It was a result of his involvement in a high-speed multi-car crash in Dallas, where he also pleaded guilty to two felony charges. A six-game suspension was imposed on him. 

This domestic violence allegation would make him a repeat offender, and there’s a possibility that the NFL would impose a substantial suspension this time, even a full season.